RP:As we step into the World

• RP:As we step into the World

• Kelay Tavern

Djarun appears from the upper levels of Kelay tavern, descending a set of heavily worn stairs that lead into what this narrator assumes to be the rooms which Mesthak rents for travelers. With a yawn the tall, broad shouldered male begins an approach to the bar, cracking his neck lazily along the way. His footsteps are not what one might consider to be 'light' as an elf's, yet in no way are they lumbering or uncoordinated, even after an extended period of heavy sleep. Attired simply in plain, threadbare clothes; or 'rags' as some of the more wealthy denizens of hollow might claim, there is little to draw one's attention to the man. Except of course for a plain leather scabbard and the accompanying weapon within which hangs from his left hip. That, along with a certain..... vibe, I suppose would be an appropriate word, which serves to separate him from the 'average' human, are the only two major points of interest inherent in a glance towards Djarun. An unruly mop of dark hair obscures much of his face, though a casual grin is still visible on the lower half as he reaches the wooden counter-top and calls out to Mesthak who had disappeared into the backroom for whatever reason during the nightly lull. "I could sure use a drink out here good sir, something to start my early morning off right." His tone is friendly, but not overly so to the point of being an annoyance, and assuredly Mesthak appears within a matter of moments and approaches with a look which clearly shows he had been interrupted in something. "Whatever's cheap" Djarun continues. Coins are exchanged, and without further delay a large tankard of ale is placed before him. Djarun then plops himself down onto a stool with a sigh and sips the cold liquid gratefully as his eyes begin to wander about, searching for any and every possible point of interest.

Yiki is carried into the tavern, the back of her dress in the mouth of a small moonbeam-white kitten. She appears unconsious. Her clothes are ruffled and charred, and one of her wings is bent. The kitten carries her to a corner and deposits her there, before starting to wash her, pinning her small body under one paw and licking her face gingerly.

Djarun might not have noticed the little white kitten, were it not for the immensity of his boredom. Yet by chance he does and for a moment he disregards it until seeing something small and ragged carried in it's mouth. The 'human' does a double take and for a moment he simply stares, trying to figure out what the little feline could have caught for dinner tonight, it takes him a full minute to realize that it's not dinner the kitten carries, but a friend. A Pixie friend to be specific, a race Djarun had not seen in quite some time. Concerned, he stands and leaves his drink at the bar, moving swiftly to the corner where the good little feline has now deposited it's load and begun to lick it. He is not the magical sort by trade, nor particularly skilled with healing, as such Djarun is fairly unhelpful in aiding the small creature, but he would like to try if at all possible. "Jeez, what could have happened to you...." he wonders aloud.

Yiki groans as she feels something rough and slightly sticky run across her face. She tries to wiggle away in her semi-consious state, but realizes she cant move. She turns her head and opens her eyes, and sees a giant kitten face staring down at her, preparing to lick her again. "Im up! Im up!" she cries, squirming to get out from under her friends paw. It takes her a few moments to get her bearings, and she does, she jumps up and looks around before wincing and turning to try to see her wings. She spins in place for a few seconds before reaching back to grab the bent one gingerly. "Owww...." she complains, and plops down on the floor in a rather silly manner, and begins running her hands along the wing to attempt to straiten it. This being her first time not in her home, she does not notice the large 'human' standing over her.

Djarun lets out a sigh of relief as the Pixie awakens, thankful that she is still alive. Still, she didn't look all that great and the 'human' couldn't help but wonder what sort of nasty beast she had run afoul of. "Good to see you conscious" He says to the little winged creature. "I was about to have see if our Dwarven friend over there new any healers about these parts." As he says this, Djarun's thumb is shoved casually in the direction of Mesthak and he attempts a smile despite worry and concern being written plainly across his face, "Is there anything I can get you? Water? Herbs?" He didn't exactly know what kind of herbs would be useful, but he had been to see enough healers of the non magical variety to know they used different sorts.

Yiki jumps in alarm and looks around, before looking up and seeing a large creature standing above her. He looked kind of like the males in her family did, but he was big, and didnt have his wings. She looked wide eyed up at him, speechless for a second, and then looked around her again, this time noticing that she was in a very odd forest, though it was mostly wood, with out any leaves or branches, and solid wooden treetops. She remembered some stories her older brother, who traveled, had told her, about other giant wingless creatures who made such forests, but never imagined she would end up in one, and run into the creatures there. As she thought, she remembered something... She remembered the faeries had come, and her mother hiding her under the bushes with her cat. She remembered the bush starting on fire from a wayward spell, but didnt remember anything after that. She looked up at her cat, and noticed the fur was slightly charred, as was her clothing. "Umm... where is my mommy?" she asked the big giant standing over her. "I wanna go see my family. The faeries were going to be mean to them."

Djarun was in no way capable of dealing with the words that just came out of his little friends mouth. Indicative of such he simply gapes for a minute, opening his mouth and then closing it again several times as he searches for any words that could possibly be appropriate. A moment ago he had been bored, sitting by himself, sipping a drink. Now, quite suddenly I might add, the brutality of the world had caught up with him again. "I.. I don't know where your mother is." he says awkwardly, hoping rather selfishly that his new friend wasn't about to start crying. "Your cat just brought you in here a moment ago and.... and....." he trails off, casting glances between her and the cat intermittently "Tell me everything you remember, I might be able to help you find your family if you can tell me how you got here." Uncertainty sticks in his throat, along with a rather foul taste, he doubted they were still alive If the girl's scorched clothes and her cat's charred fur were any indication, but he couldn't say that.

Yiki frowns for a moment, thinking, but since she had never been outside of her familys land before, she didnt know how to get back. She thought for a few moments, before remembering a peice of advice her mother had given her. "I dont know how to get back, but mommy always said if I get lost, I should stay where I am and she will find me." She continues to run her hands along her bent wing. "But she said the faeries might make it so she cant come find me, and if that happens I need to be a big girl and learn how to take care of myself till Im old enough to know what I should do next." She frowns at the thought of her mother not coming for her, but sighs. "I just remember that I was playing with Moonshine and mommy came and said the faeries were coming and I had to hide, but then there was a fire so Moonshine had to help me out of my hiding place. I dont remember what happened after that though, because a faerie found me and it was mean and hit me and I woke up here." She rubs her wing a bit more, remembering that the faerie had bent it that way before she blacked out.

Djarun looks contemplative as the girl recounts her last memories and her mother's advice, though what she could remember wasn't even nearly enough to lead the child, or at least he assumed she was still a child from her mannerisms, back home. Still, one thing was bothering him, a term he hadn't heard used in a long time, and Djarun doubted it was in reference to the same thing. "What is a Faeri?" he asks in an even tone, trying to get enough information so that he could be of at least -some- help to the little Pixie before the night was through.

Yiki blinks, and thinks for a few moments. "They're the bad things..." she says, uncertain how to explain it to a giant. "I only ever saw them in a book before, and I dont remember alot about what happened, but they're bigger than us... not as big as you though. Their wings are different too. They're mean... They try to take our land alot and we have to hit them to make them go away." She stood up shakily, and let go of her slightly straitened wing and gave it a cautious flutter, wincing. It moved, and sparkling dust shimmered, however, it could not bear her weight to fly, so she climbed onto her kitten for a higher perch. Said kitten hopped onto a chair, and then the tabletop, being used to adventures outside of the pixie clan that raised it. Yiki climbed back down and sat on the tabletop, and resumed trying to straiten the wing while not hurting it.

Djarun follows the pixie with his eyes as it takes a mount upon the kitten which had carried it here and both 'steed' and 'rider' hop from floor, to chair, to table. Djarun couldn't help but take this opportunity, despite the negative tone of the situation at hand, to study the winged creature. It was not often one such as he had such close interaction with one of her race, and on the few times he had it was for fleeting moments before the Pixie in question had disappeared once more into it's forest abode. Such delicate limbs, such fragile wings, yet her race had held dominance over the kingdom of enchantment for so long that Djarun could not doubt the immense magical force which even this young one must hold inside. He would have offered her aid in attending to her damaged wing if his did not believe that his fingers which were rather bulky in comparison would only make matters worse. "Do you have somewhere to sleep tonight? The streets of Kelay proper can be rather dangerous, especially for someone so small." It took him a moment to realize that the little Pixie would have no idea what Kelay was, and so he began to explain "Kelay is where we are. This is the tavern of Kelay." once again he realized a problem. "A tavern is where people come to relax and drink." he hoped that his words hadn't been too confusing, but they probably had been. "While we're on the topic of names, I don't believe that i've gotten yours yet."

Yiki was indeed confused, but as she noted other creatures-people, she corrected herself- filing in and out of the area with food and drink, she realized this must be akin to the common areas of her own family's land. She realized she was an uncommon entity here. There was not one giant in her old world of normal sized things, she was a small creature in their world of normal sized things. "I'm Yiki Saina, and this is Moonshine." she said, pointing to herself and her cat. She wondered if this person had ever seen something like a cat before, as he seemed to not know much about Pixies or Faeries. "Moonshine is a cat... hes going to get really big soon, he is just a baby now."

Djarun nods, and is about to offer his hand for shaking when he realizes that would probably just cause even more undue confusion and thus stifles the motion. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Yiki" He says, trying to remain cheerful on her behalf, though unsure if that was truly the wisest choice. Obviously the man had indeed seen cats before, but he didn't scorn her for explaining. "And yours as well moonshine." he says to the little kitten as it casts him a glance and Djarun holds his hand forward to the feline for it to decide whether he could pet it or not. "My name is Djarun. Just, Djarun." (Pronounced Jar-ren) the 'human' had cast off his surname long ago, and adopted this new monicker in honor of.... well, that's a story for another time.

Yiki nods, while Moonshine sniffs the mans hand cautiously for a few moments before deciding he was worthy of his attention, and begins to rub his head against the hand. Yiki smiles at her friends antics, and returns her attention to her damaged wing. After a few more tries at straitening it painlessly, she impatiently pushes at it and yelps, letting go. She decides to leave it alone for the time being, and turns her attention to the surrounding area, observing with sharp eyes the going-ons around her. She notices alot of flashes of light around her, and in particular, notices people trading around little round shiny objects, trading them for large plates of what she assumed to be food. "Whats that?" she asked, pointing to the little round objects that were sitting on a table between two men nearby.

Djarun 's head turns and his eyes follow the direction of Yiki's pointing finger, trying his best to figure out what she was asking about. After he decides that she probably wasn't talking about the two conversing patrons, their table, or the drinks upon it, the only logical choice left was a small pile of coins which rested between them. "You mean these?" He asks and pulls several of his own from a small coin-purse secured about his waist. His other hand begins gently stroking moonshine behind the ears, and scratching under it's chin in an affectionate although absent minded fashion. "They're money." He says simply with a shrug. "Your people have money, don't they?"

Yiki stands up and looks in Djaruns hand, curiously examining the peices of metal. "I thought it was stories that they exchanged stuff for bits of metal..." she said, picking up a small brown peice and sniffing it curiously. "At home, we share things, or trade with other families for food and tools... We trade with outsiders too, but the older people were the ones who did that." she explained, while examining this 'money'. "Its pretty though." The girl idly wondered of how much importance this money was, and where she could get some if she needed it to eat, though, she supposed, she could always just find a tree and gather berries, like she did at home.

Djarun keeps petting the little kitten as he continues explaining. "There are still some people who trade goods, but since coins can be traded for almost anything most people find it easier." Djarun's hand then leaves Moonshine's soft fur for a moment to point at the coin Yiki was holding now. "Those are called coppers." then he picks a little silver piece from his hand and shows it to her. "and these are silvers. Ten coppers are the same as one silver." then he drops the silver piece to pick up a gold one. "And these are gold. Ten silvers make one gold" he figured that the system would be pretty self explanatory, but you never know.

Yiki nods, though she wonders why these people think the coins are worth anything... peices of metal cant feed or clothe... Though as she looked around at the odd assortment of people, some sporting clothing made with shiny metal, she supposed that for all she knew about this world, maybe some of them -did- use these 'coins' as food and clothing... "Do -I- need coins to get water? Or a healer?" she asked, glancing at her wing. "Are there places to gather food here? Or do I need money for that too here..." She started to get worried, she didnt have any money, and in this world, she might need it to survive, though it would be difficult to carry around alot of it. "How do I get money?"

Djarun pauses for a second to put the various coins back into his little pouch before he begins speaking again. "Well, some people might buy you water or food, but you can't always rely on the kindness of strangers. There are some bad people out there. As for gathering food, I'm sure that you can find fruit bearing trees and bushes in the surrounding country side. How to get money? That's a question everyone asks at one time or another.... well everyone except for the nobles who've never had to lift a finger to feed themselves." Here he coughs and stifles a sickened expression "But I guess there are a lot of ways. Some people get jobs, you know, work for other people who pay them money to do whatever the work is. Could be washing dishes, or serving people drinks, or hunting dragons." the last job title is spoken with a great deal of contempt, but no reference to it is made henceforth. "Otherwise your best bet is finding something to sell, or finding a skill that you have which most other people can't do."

Yiki starts to think that this new world is very odd. The bad people, she could understand. They must be like the faeries. But some of the other things he said... "What are nobles? Why dont they need money? How can I get work? Whats a dragon? Why do people hunt them? Are they pretty?" She pauses for a moment. "Whats something I can do that others cant? Everything I know my family taught me. That means they can all do it too, I cant do anything special yet... My mommy says I was good at hiding and singing, but I cant sell that..."

Djarun doesn't even know where to begin. So many questions, and some of them could easily take hours to explain. He supposes it was probably his own fault though, the 'human' had to remember that he was speaking to a child, and a child who had lived her entire life prior to now in a wholly different world. "You ask a lot of questions little one." Djarun says in a tone that betrays how lost he is in terms of answering them. "Well, lets start with the important ones first. There's a message board over there on the wall, sometimes people will put up ads asking for people who can do jobs for them. Otherwise, you can put up your own ad, listing your skills and talents, and if people want to hire you they will post a response. Or you could try asking around at different places in the area, there is always something that needs to be done. Since you're so little though, you won't be able to do a lot of the physical labor." Djarun scratches the rough stubble which is sprouting under his chin as he thinks about what to say next. "And i'm sure there are lots of things you can do that others can't. For one, you can fly, and you're little so you can get places that lots of people can't. Also, pixies are rare to see in these parts, so the things your family taught you won't be so common here. You're wrong about singing too, there are plenty of people who make a living from singing or telling stories. Around here we call them bards."

Yiki nods, paying close attention, sitting back down and leaning against her cat, noting that the animal must have been prowling the other tables, as he is now licking something off his paws, something that Yiki strongly suspected was stolen food. Her mind was brought back to what the man was saying. It was an odd thought that the chores she had taken for granted, such as gathering food and collecting water, were not needed here, and things she took for granted such as flying, and singing, and maybe even what magic she knew, might come in handy. "Wow..." she said, glancing at the board he had gestured at and noticing it was covered in bits of paper and writing, though she was too far to make it out, and likely wouldnt be able to observe it until she could fly again, it was too high to reach on Moonshines back and there were no perches nearby for him to stand on for her to read... not that she could likely get him to stay still long enough even if there was a place.

Djarun runs back over to the bar for a moment to get his drink back, and then returns to the table at which Yiki is sitting. He pulls up a chair and sits in it, making himself comfortable as he sips his now warm ale and makes a face at the temperature. "Now for the less important ones. Nobles are people who were born into either royalty or extreme wealth. You know what kings and queens are right?" he asks the question, but doesn't wait for a response before continuing. "Well, nobles seem to think that they're better than most people, because they have always had wealth and power. Not all of them, mind you, but most. They usually have enough money that they can just pay other people to do everything for them. Bring them food, cook their meals, wash their clothes, keep their mansions tidy. They are a truly disgusting sort of people for the most part. As for Dragons.... well.... Dragons are a separate race of beings. W-they (here he stutters awkwardly for some reason) are an ancient race. Powerful and proud. Many respect them, but many more still fear them, which is one of the reasons they are hunted. And yes, w-they (he does it again) are very beautiful. Their scales are among the most beautiful things in this land, and tougher than steel. That is another reason why they are hunted, for Dragon scales are very valuable." here he pauses to take a few more sips from his drink and let what he has just said sink in.

Yiki frowns, as she doesnt know what kings and queens are, but lets it slide as he continues onto a more interesting topic-pretty things. And bad people. "That sounds like what faeries do..." she mused. "Do faeries hunt them?" She remembered then that he hadnt know what a faerie was, so she assumed not. "They are mean to us because they want our lands cause we have better stuff than them. Thats why it sounds like what faeries do... its just them being greedy and wanting what other people have..." She looked up at him, and noted a hint of an odd expression. "You dont hunt them, do you? The pretty dragons? I wanna see one, one day... Maybe they would know magic... my mommy said that I was good at it and I would have to travel someday to find a better teacher."

Djarun seems almost offended at the notion that he would hunt Dragons, but doesn't mention it one way or another. "Every Dragon feels the touch of magic, although some are more skilled with it's manipulation than others. Magic is in their very blood. There are legends which say that Dragons were the first race, brought to life by the gods themselves and crafted from magic. There are some Dragons who have lived for thousands of years, some who have lived for hundreds of thousands, since the very dawn of time. Yet many of them are hidden away deep inside the earth, sleeping, waiting until one day they will awaken and roam the earth once more." There is an odd tone in Djarun's voice as he speaks about the Dragons and their legends, his eyes seem to look past you, through you, to a different time entirely, in a place that is very far from here. Yet in a matter of moments he snaps back to reality, his eyes re-focusing. Djarun takes another sip of his drink and then continues, his tone dropping low so as none would overhear. "Yet even though some lie dormant, sleeping, others walk the earth even now, hidden from sight by normal eyes." as he speaks the word 'eyes' something strange happens. Namely, his own eyes shift color from brown to a deep blood red, and then back again.

Yiki smiles. "That sounds nice... Sleeping for a long time sounds boring though." She noticed his eyes shift color, but did not comment on it. After all, she knew not what the norm was, anymore. "Your good at telling stories, are you a Bard? Do I have to pay you for the story? I dont have any...'coin money.' I can sing though..."

Djarun said to Yiki, "No, i'm not a bard. Even if i were, i wouldn't ask you to pay for such a story. To tell it is my pleasure."

Yiki smiled, but her eyes were drooping, and her cat was purr-snoring lazily behind her, its tail wrapping itself around her body so she was warm. She yawned, trying and failing to fight off the growing sleepyness as the stress and adventures of the day took its toll on her mind and body. "Is there somewhere to take a nap...?" she asked. "Im kind of tired...."

Djarun turns his head and yells over to the dwarf behind the bar "Hey Mesthak, my room's still good right?" to which the dwarf scowls but nods. At recieving the go ahead Djarun turns back to Yiki with a smile and says, "You can have my room, i won't be needing it. I need to go out and find work. I'll be around later though if you have any more questions." Djarun said to Yiki, "Just ask Mesthak for directions when you're ready to head up." with that the man stands, finishes the last of his ale, and begins heading for the door "You sleep well ok?""

Yiki scrambles to her feet and waves to the departing man. "Thank you!" she calls after him, and pokes her cat awake, climbing on and pointing at the bartender to direct the cat to follow the man to the room, and to sleep, for the first time, in the outside world.

• The next day

Yiki decends the stairs on her faithful kitten, yawning, in freshly washed clothing, her hair still slightly damp, though with her size, its hard to notice.

Djarun turns the knob to Kelay tavern's door and pushes it open lightly, closing it behind him politely as it seemed so few in this land were apt to do. The 'human' was worn down and tired, having trudged all across the surrounding area looking for work to fund further exploits, but had met with little success. An elderly farmer had paid him a handful of copper and a few silvers to help haul some old hay into the barn for his horses, but that was about it on the 'gainful employment' scale for today. With a sigh the broad shouldered male still adorned in what most would call rags stretches his tired arms and maneuvers his way to the bar where he plops down lazily on a stool. It felt good to get the weight off of his aching feet and until Mesthak came by to ask what he would be having, Djarun would simply revel in the sensation of cessation to exertion.

Yiki may not have noticed Djaruns appearance at first, due to still being in awe at the size of everything, but her shining kitten, also freshly washed, sure had. Moonshine immediatly directed his steps toward the man, and hopped onto the bar, lowering its head so Yiki could step off before immediatly nudging the mans hand, demanding a rub. Yiki grinned up at him, and sat down gingerly, due to her still bent wing, a few inches away from his arm. "Hello again! Thanks for the help this morning." Djarun picks his head up from the table where he had laid it in exhaustion as the kitten nudges him and for half a second everything is a blur as his eyes which had been closed dilate and re-adjust to the light. "well hello there." he says in a friendly though obviously sluggish tone to both pixie and feline accomplice as his hand subconsciously moves to give moonshine the scritches which he so obviously demanded. "You slept well I hope?" it is at this moment that Djarun remembers his surroundings and pulls a couple of coins from a pouch secured about his waist and places them in a neat little pile on the countertop; a silent indication for Mesthak to bring him a drink, whenever the dwarf got a free moment from his other duties.

Yiki watches with interest as Djarun moves, noting that his movements were much more sluggish than they were in the morning. "I slept good, but it looks like you need some..." she says, watching her cat arch under the mans hand, before scampering off to bug the other patrons. Her eyes followed her feline friend for a few moments before rising up again to rest on the man before her. "Did you find work?"

Djarun shakes his head in response to Yiki's question about work "A little, but nothing substantial enough to warrant all my efforts." He says with a yawn following swiftly after. It is at this point that Mesthak takes note of the little coin stack and wanders over to investigate. "Yer Usuwal?" Mesthak grunts in his Dwarven accent, and he receives a quick response of "Yea, why not." from Djarun. The coins are scooped away and within several moments a familiar looking tankard of ale is set with a little clang on the bar.

Yiki watches the exchange with attention, already taking mental notes about how this 'money' seemed to work. So rapt is her attention she fails to notice her kitten has returned with a tribute, before the beast nearly knocks her over in his impatience. "Hey!" she protests as he disturbs her wing, showering pixie dust onto the counter and the kittens nose, and causing quite alot of hurt for the pixie as well. Moonshine sneezes, dropping his offering of a grape at her feet, nearly smushing them. Yiki carefully wipes away the remaining dust on his nose, knowing that if he inhaled too much he would fall asleep, and picked up the berry with difficulty, as it was quite large to her petite size. "Umm... thanks?" she said to her friend, staggering to carry the grape away from the still sniffling kitten and towards an empty spot a bit away from Djaruns tankard. Once she sets it down, she begins to examine it, wondering how on earth she could eat it.

Djarun glances over his shoulder at some obvious commotion taking place between a rather giggly groupie and the abject center of her limited attention. The 'human' can't help but chuckle a little as it seems that the man she had latched onto was not at all interested. As such, Djarun misses the whole interaction between Yiki and Moonshine involving Pixie dust. He turns back around a moment later to see Yiki puzzling over a grape which was a good portion of her own size. He can't help but chuckle a second time, and with little delay pulls a small dagger from a sheath belted out of view on his ankle. With precise motions Djarun deftly slices the fruit in twain, and then into quarters, hopefully making the task of eating it easier for his little Pixie companion. "Is that better?" he asks, humor seeping out through his words.

While Moonshine once again started nudging the mans hand, Yiki smiled in delight and dug into her meal, having not eaten for over a day now. She carefully held a peice of grape, still large, but now a more managable size, and carefully bit into it, taking care not to let juice drop onto her clean clothes as she munched on her treat.

Peku said to Dawn, "hey sparrow! Wanna meet this scrumdidlyumpcious ball of fluff? *points at soshiki*"

Soshiki pauses with an unreadable expression before getting more annoyed tint to his voice, "With this behavior, it is -quite- clear that you obviously lack refinement and/or respect." He raised his nise a little higher to survey her in a prissy manner before taking a seat at a table not too far from the pixie and man. Ambrosial! Who would have thought that woman would call him such!!! He ought to feel offended, as a matter of fact. Ball of fluff...how ridiculous.

Dawn gently pushes open the boor of the tavern, landed with her daughter in her arms. Cleo trotting along at the seamstresses heels yapping at people. She was just about to sit down in the nearest chair then when someone calls out to her " umm alright" looking to Peku then Soshiki in amassment.

Peku snickers at the pouting man. "Oops! Looks like I hurt his feelings. Poor thing. Though I'm not too sorry since he looks even cuter angry. Just like a little puppy barking"

Djarun gently lifts the little kitten who was once again nudging him, despite the fact that it might be uncomfortable with this, and lofts it easily up onto one of his shoulders. Moonshine should have -more- than enough room to maneuver around on the thick muscled plateau, but he would not stop it from jumping away if it so desired. "I'd be placing my bet on a little of both." Djarun comments idly to the elf who had taken up residence in a seat not too far away "But that isn't uncommon in these parts."

Yiki looks up as Djarun calls out to someone else in the room, but shyly decides to stay quiet and keep eating her treat for the time being. Moonshine contents himself with sitting down across his new friends shoulder, purring as he wrapped the tail around his neck in a loving manner. A thimble of water is placed next to the girl, by the bartender, who uncharistaristicly decided the young girl needed a drink.

Djarun's attention wanders away from the random Elf once more and he turns back just in time to see Mesthak bring a little thimbleful of water for Yiki. "Well look who decides to have a heart." he mumbles under his breath, low enough that Mesthak wouldn't hear. It wasn't often that the barkeep showed such kindness, especially to those who weren't 'fully inebriated at all times'. "I think I'll make the journey to Cenril in the morning, perhaps I can get some work on the dock."

Yiki nodded, already having known that he could not stick around forever. "Yea, I think Ill stay here for a while longer. Nancy told me that since im so small I can stay here for a little while. She said I can pay her with my dust..." she shook her good wing for emphasis, and a sprinkling of dust fell from it. "Apparently, its rare and expensive here, so I can sell it to get a bit of money, as long as im careful not to lose too much." She knew that pixies could get sick, or not be able to fly for a time, if they wernt careful about their dust. "I can use that money to pay for a healer for my wing, too, she said... Then I can find a job, and start working. Or maybe my mommy will find me and take me home." She smiled wistfully, but was starting to think, as she peiced more and more details together in her head, that her family still being ok was likely not the truth. She, as all children in her family, had learned the stories about the cruelty of faeries, and knew that if her family had not been able to drive them away, she could be the only one left.

Djarun 's eyes keep slowly closing, only to flutter open again moments later. The cycle repeats over and over, as Djarun slowly slouches lower and lower in his seat. The 'human' is obviously rather exhausted, and though he tries to pay attention, it just doesn't work out so well for him. After a little while longer his exhaustion seems to win the battle and in epic fashion Djarun's face falls forward with a resounding thud against the counter, and he is out like a smashed light.

Yiki looks at the passed out man for a few moments, before going back to her food and drink. Moonshine, however, was quite startled, and jumps off of his shoulder with a startled "Mrowr!", and streaks off to a corner, where he hissed in Djarun's direction before stalking off to find someone to pet him until his friend needed him again.

A while later, Yiki finishes up her food and drink, thanks the barkeep and maid, and signaled Moonshine, who came from his resting place in front of the hearth up to the bar, treading cautiously around the sleeping Djarun, and sitting in front of his friend for her to climb onto his back. When she was secure, he trotted off with his load up the stairs.

• Three Days Later

• Outside Kelay Tavern

A pixie is here, perched on the rim of an upside down hat, a cat wrapped around the base to keep it steady. There are a few coins in the hat, and the Pixie appears to be some sort of bard. She is singing a haunting melody in an unknown language, her high voice weaving an odd calm in the area.

[A stranger asks if Yiki knows any other songs, than the ones in her language she had been singing previously]

The pixie glances around nervously, and starts singing a song that sounds like she had just translated it from her native language into common, it doesn't rhyme at all and has an odd flow.

Strex quirks a curios brow to the pixie. He could easily tell she was nervious and that made him smile. Slipping a few more coins in her hat, he stand up and nods. "Sounded beautiful darlin. Keep at it." With that, he would wander off eastward to his farm....a long ways away....

Djarun comes lumbering up the path at a relatively slow pace, his posture and body language clearly illustrating that he was rather worn out. The 'human' had already made the trip to Rynvale and back, yet how a simple 'human' could make the journey so rapidly was somewhat of a mystery. A mystery that Djarun would refuse to elaborate on if asked, yet he doubted anyone would even bother to spark a conversation at such a late hour as this. The sound of his footsteps crunch on the simple dirt road below, and for a while the simple rhythmic pattern is all that he concentrates upon. Yet as Djarun draws closer to Kelay Tavern, another sound joins in. It is hard to make out at first, yet with each step the sound grows slightly louder, and soon it coalesces into an obvious tune, although to be honest, it wasn't all that great. However he chides himself for that thought as the tavern comes fully into view and he can make out the tiny silhouette of Yiki standing out front, singing her heart out. Djarun can't help but smile, Yiki's determination lifting his spirits up out of the mud. For a while he lingers around in the shadows, just out of view, listening without being seen.

The pixie ends her song in common, and drifts back into her native language. She had not noticed the presence of a certain man, but her cat has, and its ears perk up at once as it turns its gaze to Djarun.

Djarun slowly approaches, making his way into the small circle of light cast by several ever-burning torches posted outside the entrance to Kelay Tavern. He pulls a good handful of coins from the pouch tied to his waist and deposits them into a hat set in front of the little pixie with a smile. Yet he says nothing, merely listening in quiet respect.

Yiki smiles and finishes her song, and hops down from her hat. "You gave me more money than I had even earned so far." she said in awe, looking at her hat which was now filled to the brim with gold coins. "Its so good to see you again! Did you have fun on your trip?" Since she did not know where Rynvale was, she didnt realize that he had been gone for an awfully short time to had made it there and back already.

Djarun nods idly as the song finishes and Yiki petitions him for news on his journey. "It was mostly unproductive." He states with a yawn. "Yet I was lucky enough to stumble upon a bandit outpost on the return journey." For something spoken so casually, one might not guess that by 'stumbled upon' he had meant 'ambushed by the occupants of'. "For amateurs, they had a decent bit of swag holed up." he scratches his head and yawn again before continuing "Would you care to have a drink? On me of course."

Yiki smiles and begins to stuff the coins into a bag that appeared around her cats neck. When she finished, the bag magically dissapeared again, and she hopped onto her cat, her wing still broken. "Sure, that sounds great! I think I managed to make enough for a healer now, too. Though I was offered free healing, a bird brought me a note a few hours ago." Yiki pointed, and the cat trotted in the indicated direction, toward the tavern.

• Kelay Tavern

The singing outside stops, and a few minutes later a cat trots in, with a pixie sitting astride it. The cat jumps up to the bar, and the pixie drops down and sits atop the wooden surface, waiting for her friend. The cat jumps down and immediatly starts pestering the barmaid for a treat.

Awne glances about the tavern at the stopping of singing, following the cats walk before looking to the pixie with a smile, moving to her "Excuse me miss? have you by chance seen of the one that posted the note of needing healing to the boarrd?"

Djarun follows the little feline riding pixie through the front door and trails behind her all the way to the bar where he pulls up a stool and plops down on it with a sigh. "Mesthak, I need my usual." He says without really paying attention, laying his head down on the bar at the same time. After a moment he seems to remember something and picks his head back up "Oh, and bring my little pixie friend here whatever she wants, I'll cover it."

Yiki glances at the speaker, and nods. "Yes, that is me... however, the note seems to be a bit redundant now, someone offered me free healing a few hours ago... they sent me a note with a bird."

Awne chuckles lightly and takes seat to her knees "Aye I sent you the note, my name is Awne, and you must be Miss Yiki." she offers her hand "A pleasurre to meet you. What is it that ails you?"

Yiki takes a finger with her tiny hand and shakes it, like she has seen many a person do in her few days hanging around Kelay. "My wing, I think its broken." Her wings fluttered weakly, the bent one trembling slightly. "I dont quite remember what happened, but I cant fix it and I cant fly, it hurts when I try to straiten it." She looks up at Mesthak, who is waiting for her order. "Just the water is fine." she says, and a few moments later her usual thimble is set down, filled with cool spring water. Yiki cups her hands and dips them into the thimble to drink, the metal and water being too heavy to lift.

Awne looks to the small and fragile wing with a hum "I see...that must be quite painful...I think it prrudent to ask but..arre you alerrgic to magical means or healing?" she thought it best to ask, just in case the woman was one of the rarer cases.

Djarun spins a little on his stool to observe the conversation between Yiki and the other unknown female whom had approached, yet after a moment or so he is distracted from watching as Mesthak sets a tall tankard of ale on the counter before him. "Thanks." Djarun says quickly and immediately begins on the task of tackling the drink before him.

Yiki shakes her head. Ive been healed with magic at home before, I dont know if it is the same magic that healers here use, though. But they say here that pixies -are- magic, so I dont think I would be allergic to any magic..."

Awne nods her head and smiles with a soft laugh, her white tail flicking lightly behind her. "Good, I'm glad to hearr, I'll make this as painless as I can alrright?" the feline gives a soft reasuring smile befor moving her hand to either side of the wings, Such a tiny creature didn't need as much magic as a normal being, which would mean the energy output would be less strain on herself. A blue glow, matching the sapphire color of her eyes emits from around her hands, a faint green moving through the color as the magic moves to the wing, shutting down the nerves to the damaged area before wrapping around the wing. She was fairly sure she had gotten each nerve, allowing the feline to work with little worry. The small threads of magic visible for this healing, a strange sight for those that may have been healed by herself. Gently but firmly the feline pulls at the wing to bring it back to alignment.

Yiki stays carefully still, but her head and eyes curiously follow the healers actions as she works.

Awne moves her hand with the motion of the magic and pull. Once set back to the place of break she sends the healing to the break to mend and repair, strengthening the damamged area to prevent if from breaking too soon. A small healing as this was, it seemed to be done in a materr of minutes. Smiling as the glow turns to green, the nerves releasing to feel the wing again before fading. Smiling lightly the feline moves her hands to her lap "test it please?" she asked

Yiki flutters her wing, and, feeling no pain, lets her wings lift her tiny body into the air with an experimental flutter. She lands immediatly on the counter, but, experiencing no pain, lifts off again and is gone in the blink of an eye, fluttering around the room almost too fast to be seen, before landing on the counter again moments later. "Its fixed." she says, smiling brightly, and her cat, having noticed its friend was once again in action, rushed up to the healer and began to wash the girls face in earnest.

Awne laughs lightly at the feline, petting it gently with a soft purr of greeting as well as a verbal on in feline tonuge. Looking to the pixie she smiles "I advise you to keep flying to a minimum tonight, but tomorrrrow use it to yourr hearrts content." She smiles "underrstand it's only a prrecausion to give yourr body time to rrecoverr frrom the magic." she pets the feline before her happily "but you arre well now it seems."

Yiki nods, still smiling. Moonshine looks startled that the feline healer knows its tounge, but answers in earnest at whatever was said and purrs even more. "Thank you... are you sure you dont want any compensation? I had been working the last few days, I have money now I could pay at least a token with..."

Awne shakes her head, purring to the feline and nuzzling him gently before turning her gaze to the woman again "I'm surre, I have neverr charrged forr healing in my life." She smiles and stands "but I wish you the best, and good health in yourr flying."

Yiki nods, and sits. Her kitten jumped down from the girls arms and wrapped its body around her, being cautious of her newly healed wing. "Thank you very much. Your very kind. I hope you have good luck in life, Ma'am." she said, stumbling over the last word, as it it were unfamiliar.

Awne chuckles softly and bows her head polietly "be well little one." she says before taking her leave with a yawn.

Yiki looks over at Djarun. "You still awake, there? Youve been quiet."

Djarun lifts his head back up from the tavern counter where it had rested during the time since he had finished his drink and looks toward the Pixie. "I'm still awake, just worn out. It's quite a long trip to Rynvale from here, even for me." then Djarun goes to sip his drink, apparently having forgotten that it had been drained. The last dregs of now warm ale touch his lips and the 'human' frowns. "Mesthak, I need another."

Yiki watched him, and leaned back against her kitty, instinct making her careful about her wings, though they were healed for now. "Ive had an offer of employment from someone named Thea, of Enchantment... I replied, saying I was injured, but I guess I should figure out how to find her now that that isnt the case."

Djarun said to you, "I've heard tell of this Thea, supposedly she's the current ruler of the Kindom of Enchantment. Though I must admit, Enchantment is one of the few lands I haven't had the opportunity to visit. Perhaps I should seek her out as well, even a peaceful nation has need of warriors from time to time."

Yiki looks up, startled. "Wait, shes the ruler of Enchantment? I heard my parents talking about that! Maybe she knew them..." The girl ponders this for a few moments, then nods to herself. "I think I should go see her then, deffinatly. I still dont know the way, though..." Her happy look deflates upon this realization.

Djarun takes his new tankard of ale from the counter and sips it thoughtfully before opening his mouth to speak once more. "I'm afraid that I don't know the way either, although there is undoubtedly someone in the area who does as I hear it isn't too far from here. Perhaps when you make the journey I could accompany you, and bring my offer of aid to Thea in person."

Yiki points at the board. "Why dont you use that? Thats where I posted some things, and Thea posted her invitation there as well."

Djarun glances to the message board as Yiki points to it, and then shakes his head slowly. "I think that my offer would be better conferred in person than through text. The leader of a peaceful kingdom hiring a warrior publicly might raise some unfriendly questions." Here he pauses to take a sip of his ale "Still if all other options fail I may do just that... but I would rather seek her out in an arena where we may converse openly."

Yiki ponders for a while, before coming up with a good solution. "Why dont you write, saying that you are willing to accompany me there, but you dont know the way?

Djarun said to you, "Unfortunately no. However acquiring information is something i have grown rather good at over the years. I shall see what i can uncover, and if nothing else, we could always ask."

Yiki said, "I suppose thats true... Well, if you find any information, tell me... I should at least write back and say that Im healed, but dont know the way..."

Djarun said to you, "Perhaps you could also mention my offer to accompany you, i believe that announcing my arrival in a strange land governed by potentially unfriendly beings is always best. At least then i know where i stand. Despite what i've heard of Thea's kindness and generosity, i have learned to take nothing as a given."

Yiki nods. "Yea, I will mention that a friend wishes to accompany me... that would be alright?"

Djarun nods. "I can see no reason why she would object to you having an escort. The forests can be dangerous for someone so small."

Yiki yawns and nods again, then shivers slightly. Her cat draps its tail around her body and curls closer, and she snuggles into its warmth. She takes another drink of her water, and her bright green eyes observe the now familiar room lazily. "Its been three days..." she says suddenly. "Three days and I havnt been found. I guess I really am on my own, now..."

Djarun 's expression shifts to a frown at Yiki's words, having known that the situation would need to be addressed at some point, yet still dreading the prospect. He wasn't so good with consoling people, and the 'human' didn't want to make things worse. Still, something -had- to be said, and he was the only one around who could do so. "Hey now... you don't know what happened right? Your mom could be out looking for you even now as we speak. You'd be surprised how far a cat can run when it's scared... maybe you're just a lot farther from home than you think."

Yiki smiles at Djarun. "It would be nice to think... But no matter how I ask, Moonshine wont bring me home. He knows what happened while I was unconsious..." She sighs, and looks sad, but still determined. "Hes been roaming for as long as he could walk, but he always knew the way home. All I can think of is that there is nothing left to go back to there, and he knows it... So I feel like I should move on."

Djarun nods, understanding that despite what he might want to believe it was more than likely there wasn't much, if anything, left of the place Yiki had called home. "My offer to help you try and find your way back is still valid... but I warn you that you might not like what we find when we get there, if we get there at all."

Yiki shakes her head sadly. "No, I dont know how to find it on my own, and Moonshine refuses to lead me back. We likely wont ever find it.... It wasn't big, after all, not even the size of this tavern and the street outside."

Djarun said to you, "Just remember that i'm here to help you if you ever need it."

Yiki smiles and nods. "Ok.... and thanks." Her eyes begin to droop, and her cat wraps itself tighter around her, mostly obscuring her small body from the casual passerby's eyes.

Djarun reaches out to gently scratch Moonshine under the chin and behind his ears. With his other hand the human finishes the last bit of his ale and then sighs.

Yiki rolls onto her side, and curls up in a tiny ball, around which her cat curls up, now completly obscuring the pixie from sight as the young girl, exhausted, falls asleep.

Djarun notices after a minute or two that Yiki has fallen asleep, and a caring grin creeps onto his face. Delicately he attempts to pick up both Moonshine and Yiki without waking the little Pixie, so as to carry her up to the room he had rented already and deposit her onto the bed. That completed Djarun would return to the bar and order yet another drink.

Moonshine looks up, and stretches, stepping off of Djaruns hands so he could pick up the pixie easier. The cat jumps to the floor, to follow the man to his room, and once he deposited the pixie onto the bed, the kitten curled up once again around her tiny body to keep her warm.

• Two days later

Yiki flies in from the south, followed by a moonbeam white kitten. She approaches the bar and orders some grapes.

Djarun basically falls through the door to Kelay tavern, not even having the strength to close it behind himself as he stumbles forward. A loud scraping sound emanates from the floor as a rather heavy looking chest which he drags behind him tears small splinters out of the wooden planks below and leaves a little trail of scuffs. The most noticeable thing about Djarun on this early morning is the Copious amount of dried blood which covers almost every inch of his body, and leaves him the color of rust. Some of it might is likely his own, as several tears in his clothing show vicious wounds which are just now beginning to scab. One of which is a large tear in his left shoulder where it appears that a good chunk has been removed entirely. Another is a wide cut in his abdomen, just below his right set of ribs where a sword had been shoved in and then removed roughly. Yet even these vicious wounds would not explain the almost ridiculous amount of blood which he wears like a second skin. His appearance in such a state might be utterly terrifying if it were not from the fact that his wobbled in a way that suggested he might pass out any moment. With a loud grunt Djarun heaves the chest he brought with him onto a table, and without further delay collapses into a chair that creaks in response to weight being forced upon it so suddenly.

Yiki is startled by the sudden appearence of her friend-a new colored friend- with his noisy box. She recognizes the color as blood, having by now seen other patrons sporting their own wounds in and out of the tavern. She flew over in curiosity, and decided that if he were moving, most of that blood must not have been his own. "What happened to you?" she teased, poking him in the ear as she fluttered around his head. "Get in a bitty fight?" Her cat had long flown up the stairs in fright at the loud sounds, but Yiki began poking at the box he had dragged in with him. "Didja steal it?" she asked, her eyes alight.

Djarun doesn't really have the energy to be playful, and his words come slowly. "You could say that...." Yet his sentence trails off as the 'human' begins digging in his change purse. The clattering of coins as they hit the table, and several roll onto the floor, attract Nancy who comes over in response. She's obviously a little bit wary of the man, but as he was familiar and she had undoubtedly seen worse she takes his appearance in stride and treats him no differently than any other customer. They exchange words and Nancy takes some of the coins as payment for the drink Djarun had just ordered before she walks away to acquire it. "But I prefer to think of it as requisitioning. You can't steal from dead men."

Yiki continues looking at the box. "Cant steal from the dead!" she repeats in a singsong voice, obviously in a better mood than her previous days. She continues to fly around the box. "What is inside? What is it?" she wonders aloud, and drops down onto the top, staring at it.

Djarun looks around, noticing that more and more people were appearing as the time wore on, and becomes rather reluctant to continue talking about his box and the possible contents it holds. With an idle hand motion he indicates the the little Pixie should come closer to be able to overhear a hushed whisper which follows a moment later. Yet it is cut short by the reappearance of Nancy who comes bearing the drink he had ordered. She sets it on the table with a "Here you are, sir." and then continues about her business, attending to other patrons and cleaning up in the down time. Djarun then lifts the tankard of ale and takes a long, deep swig which drains nearly half of his tankard in one go. He then sets the tankard down next to his chest with a little clink and continues his whispering to Yiki.

Djarun whispered to Yiki, "It's full of gold, a good bit of it too. I haven't had a chance to count it yet but......." his whisper is interupted by Nancy here. Djarun whispered to Yiki, "I took it from some bandits who.... well..... let's just say they won't be needing it anymore."

Yiki whispered to Djarun, "Ooooh!" She giggles. "Wow, that sure is alot! Your rich now, huh?"

During their whispered conversation, Moonshine slinks back down the stairs and hops onto the table, sniffing at the box before sneezing three times in rapid succession, his tiny body tumbling off the table. He snorts, and trots off, his tail stiff in the air and his head high as if he had meant to do that, and goes to find himself dinner.

Djarun yawns and stretches as light begins streaming through the tavern's high windows, making him realize that his trip back had taken nearly twice the time as his trip to.... well.... that was a secret. Yet that was understandable due to his new assortment of wounds and the extra weight he had carried with him. When he had first started his return trip, it hadn't been so bad. Yet after a while his whole body had begun to ache and complain, and the chest he carried had seemed to become heavier with each and every step. It was a relative miracle that he had made it back without collapsing. Yet, it was not yet out of the realm of possibility. His eyelids were fluttering every few moments as he fought to keep them open, and he continually sank lower and lower into his chair. " I should probably *yawn* get my *yawn aftershock* out of the open." he says with some difficulty and a moment later he stands with an impressive groan. His shaking hands grip either handle on said chest firmly, and he hoists it up from the table with such difficulty that anyone watching could accurately guess that it was -very- heavy.

Yiki flies off the top and flutters around the man as he carries his box. "Dont drop it!" She teases, and goes to shoo her kitty out of his path. "And take a bath before you come down in the morning!" she says as she flies around his crown in circles as he makes his way to the stairs. "Get all squeaky clean and I will see you laaaater~" she uses her singsong voice again, and leaves him to carry his prize up the stairs as she divebombs her cat, latching to the felines fur and sits mounted on his back, and together they leave the tavern for wherever they normally sleep.